Make It With Me - Wavy Top Tote: Part Three

OK! So between here and here we've got the outside of the bag all concocted. You can set that aside for now - put it where you can see it for inspiration and motivation, but don't stare at it too long - we've got work to do!

Today we're going to do zippers. Ugh, I know. But they're not that bad. I don't even use a zipper foot to put them in. But if you want to leave them out, then by all means do. They're not a critical part of the bag - you could just as easily put a simple slip-in pocket on the inside instead of a zipper pocket, and you could use a magnetic snap for the closure. It's your bag - go for it! But I promise - these zippers aren't hard at all and I do encourage you to try them. Enough blahblahblah; let's get sewing.

Inserting a Zipper Pocket
** If, way back at the beginning, you didn't fuse your interfacing to the lining pieces, do that now. I did not interface my lining (except across the top where the zipper will get stitched), but I wish I had. It's a do as I say, not as I do sort of thing.You're also going to need something to mark your fabric with and a ruler.

1. Center your pocket piece on the lining piece, right sides together (I'm using a solid so I have no wrong side in the photos). Place the top edge of the pocket piece about two inches down from the top center of the lining. Make sure it's centered and straight (mine is folded up in the photo as I was measuring from the bottom to make sure it was straight). Pop in a few pins to keep it from shifting.

2. Draw a line across the top of the pocket one inch from top edge, and starting/ending one inch from each side edge. Draw a parallel line 1/2 inch down from this first line. Draw some edges so you have a long skinny rectangle. Draw one more line cutting this rectangle in half longways.

Draw the little lines you see in the picture from each corner towards the middle line (they make the little triangles you see) - I make mine about 3/4 inch long. You don't need to be ultra-precise, but do your best to make them pretty even.

3. Stitch around the outside of the large rectangle.

4. Now we're going to cut a slit along that center line through both the pocket and the lining. I use a seam ripper to get started and then switch to nice sharp scissors. Cut from one triangle point to the other, and then clip your angled lines toward the corners, taking care not to cut the seam you sewed in step 3.

5. Pull the pocket piece (all of it) through the slit you just made. It will now be on the wrong side of the lining, and look quite messy. This is where you press it into submission so that you get some nice neat corners and a delightful rectangular slit. I always get a few little wrinkles on the back, but I don't get concerned with those--they get hidden in a bit.

6. OK, get your zipper - don't get nervous now, you already did the hard part :) Lay it down right side up and center the slit over it. If your zipper is going to need trimming later you need to make sure your pull is in the slit so you don't sew off access to it (not that I've ever done that). Put a few pins in to hold it in place - you want it to be centered between the top and bottom so that you're sure to grab the entire zipper tape.

7. Now stitch about 1/8 an inch from the edge. I don't use my zipper foot - I just put the zipper towards the left of my foot and sew, using the coils of the zipper itself as a seam guide. Pivot at the corners and keep going all the way around. You may need to move your zipper pull out of the way at some point. I only pin the top edge to get started - when I turn to come back along the bottom I keep everything positioned with my fingers because that works better than pins (for me) for this part at keeping things straight. Do what feels comfortable for you. If you like a zipper foot use it. If you like lots of pins, pin away.

Check the back to make sure you caught all of the zipper tape. If you missed anything restitch. This is on the inside and nobody sees it but you, so absolute neatness isn't critical - if you haven't made zip pockets before they get easier with practice - I promise. It took me a few tries to get them down just right so don't be discouraged if it's not as perfect as you like at first.

8. Fold the bottom edge of the pocket up to meet the top edge. Pin and stitch. Make sure you have the other parts tucked out of the way of the needle. Then pin and stitch the sides. Be careful of any metal zipper bits that might break a needle. Give it a final press (and then peek inside at your lovely new zipper pocket).

Make the Zipper Casing and End Tabs
1.  Take one of your zipper casing pieces. Fold and press in the short edges about 1/2 inch. Then fold the piece in half lengthwise. Unfold, and press the raw edges towards the center crease. Then fold in half again and press really well. Repeat for the other zipper casing piece - get them as close to even as you can or they'll look mismatched. You should be pretty good at this by now :)

2. Get your zipper for the main closure (I always use extra long because I'm weird like that). Lay the casing down on one side of the zipper, sandwiching the zipper tape. Don't get too close to the coils or your zipper might end up getting caught. Stitch, about 1/8 inch from the edge (again - no special foot needed). Repeat for the other casing piece.

3. Take your small zipper tab pieces. Fold in the short edges about 1/4 inch and press.

Then fold in half, right sides and short (folded) edges together. Stitch on each side with a 3/8 inch seam allowance. Turn inside out, poke out the corners so they're nice and crisp, and press.

4. Take your zipper (with it's lovely casings stitched on), and mark a line about 2 1/2 inches from the edge of the casing - trim on this line. Do this on both sides. When you are working on the side where the zipper pull is, make sure it's pulled back far enough that you don't cut it off. If your zipper isn't crazy long and you don't need to trim, that's fine too - just be aware of where the pesky metal bits are).

5. Slip the ends of your zipper tape into the zipper tabs. Center, pin, and stitch across the end of the tab. You end up with this:

You can't see my zipper pull in this photo but I assure you I didn't cut it off (not this time, anyway, lol).

Inserting the Zipper Closure
1. Take one of your lining pieces and lay it down right side up. Lay your zipper (with its casing and tabs) right side up, one inch from the top center of the lining. Make sure it's centered and straight, and pin it in place. Then stitch, close to the edge - make sure you backstitch or it won't last too long :)

2. Position the other side of the zipper on your other lining piece - take care to match it up as best you can. This part is a little fiddly, but use as many pins as you need to. When you're finished you'll have two lining pieces connected by your zipper.

And that's that for now. The next time we meet we'll end up with a finished bag. See you Sunday!

Make It With Me - Wavy Top Tote: Part Two

Welcome back! We left off having made all of our straps, sewing some curves, and fusing our fleece to the outside pieces. Today we're going to finish the outside of the bag. It looks like a lot because I try to be thorough so give a quick read-through before you start so your brain will be prepped :)

Prepare the Outside Pocket
1. Take your piece of pocket trim/bias tape. Fold it in half lengthwise and press.  Then unfold, press the raw edges towards the center crease, and then fold in half and press again (just like we did with the straps). We're basically making bias tape, but it's cut on the straight of grain.

2. Fuse a piece of fleece to the wrong side of one of your pocket pieces. Lay this on top of your other pocket piece, wrong sides facing.

3. Pin your bias tape you made in step one across the top, sandwiching the fabric and fleece between it. Stitch close to the edge, making sure to get both sides of the tape.

Attaching the Loop Straps and Sewing Down the Pocket
1. Lay down one of your outside pieces, right side up. Use a pin to mark the center. Fold your pocket piece in half (side to side) and use a pin at the center (for the larger bag this is the 3 1/2 inch mark, or thereabouts). Lay this down on your exterior piece with the pins matching - now your pocket should be perfectly centered :)  Stick a few pins (more towards the center).

2. Following the strap markings on the pattern pieces, lay down your loop straps (those with the rings) on the sides of the pockets, covering up the raw edges. There is some wiggle room here if you want to make the strap placement wider - just make sure that the raw edges of the pocket are covered, and that the straps are each the same distance from the sides of the bag. Pin, pin, and pin.

3. Starting at the bottom of one of the strap, stitch up towards the ring, as close to the edge as you're comfortable doing (I usually stick with 1/8 inch), stopping about three quarters of an inch away from the ring. Pivot, and sew across the strap to the other side. I like to sloooowwwwlly reverse over my stitches and come forward again for some extra reinforcement at this part. Then stitch down the other side of the strap, close to the edge. Repeat with the other loop strap on the other side of the pocket.

4. Lay your remaining two loop straps on the other exterior piece, matching the placement as best you can. Stitch up one side and down the other.

5. On the pocket only, stitch between the straps two inches from the bottom. This is entirely optional, but I like to do it to keep things in the pocket from going down too deep almost under the bag and resisting retrieval.

Our outside pieces are now ready to sew together.

Make Up the Bag Exterior
1. Place the right sides of your bag exterior together. Stitch across the bottom, using a 1/4 inch seam allowance. Press this seam open. Be very convincing with your iron and show it who's boss :)

2. Sew up the sides of your bag. Take care to match up the seams near the band. Press these seams open as best you can.

Now we're going to create a flat bottom for the bag by boxing the corners. This is what will give our bag some dimension.

4. Make sure the bag is inside out. Stick your hand in the bag and push the corner out and flatten to create a triangle. You can take a peek inside the bag to make sure the side seam and bottom seam are lined up one on top of the other (this takes a little wiggling).
5. Grab a ruler and measure a line four inches across. You want the 2 inch mark to be directly on the seam line - this  may take some maneuvering, but it makes for a nice even bottom. I usually have to play around with it a minute or two to make sure everything is lined up. Once it's all set, put in a few pins to keep it from wiggling out of place. Sew along this line.

6. Repeat with the other corner. Trim off the edge of the triangle about a quarter inch from your seam line. Try and give it a press, but it is a bit tricky to do. Turn your bag right side out, and you'll see that you now have nice boxy corners - give the corners a poke with something like a chopstick to neaten them up.

Adding the Purse Feet and Gridded Bottom

This part is entirely optional, but it gives a very nice finished look and feel to the bottom of the bag, and the gridded bottom prevents a bit of sag.

1. Measure the bottom of your bag's length and width (due to differences in sewing machines and cutting/trimming, it's best to measure for an accurate fit). Cut your gridded bottom to match this measurement, making sure the edge is smooth. You may need to trim this a little more for a perfect fit.

2. On the outside bottom of your bag, make 4 marks, each the same distance from the edge for the purse feet. I used the box created from the bottom seam, the straps, and the outside edges as my guide, and put my mark right in the center (scroll down and see the second picture under the next step). Using a seam ripper, CAREFULLY make a tiny hole where your marks are, making sure to go through all the layers. 

3. Poke the prongs on your purse feet through those holes, and also through the gridded bag bottom. Open the prongs so they're nice and secure. I'll be honest - I hate doing this part of the bag. It's such an odd angle and not much room to maneuver, but it gives such a nice finished look to the bag that I refuse to skip it.

The outside of your bag is now finished. That was a fair bit of work, but it wasn't too bad, right? Right? Hello? Is anyone still there?

See you on Friday! We'll be tackling zippers. If you want. They're really not so scary, but they're optional. But you should do them anyway to get bragging rights because they look hard but they're not. 

See you Friday - we're getting there :)

Summer Daze Winner!!!

You guys had some great ideas for long trips--I so wish DVDs were around when I was a kid. But since they weren't, our favorite thing to do was sing in 4-part harmony every TV show theme song we could think of. And if we didn't get it right the first time we kept going until we were satisfied. My mother would even join in, but my father was probably in his happy place to keep himself sane. I am now being paid back for this. The nephew loves to grab hold of the GPS to keep track of the miles remaining. In tenths. And the song he sings goes like this: "How many more miles are left? How many more miles are left? How many more miles are left...until we get there?" And so it goes every tenth of a mile. True story. I think I'm going to whip up some car bingo cards for this summer's trips. Because "the miles will fly, and your kids won't cry, if you play...Car Bingo."

Anyway, on to business. The winner of the 2 on-the-go goodie bags is:

And that would just happen to be Brooke Anna from Mommy Does. Please email me (sweetbeebuzzingsATgmailDOTcom) your shipping address and I'll get this packed up and shipped to you right away! Thank you to everyone who entered :)

Make It With Me - Wavy Top Tote: Part One

It's here! Are you ready? I'm ready.

It's a good idea to give any pattern a quick read-through before you get started. I've included a fair bit of pictures, and probably gotten overly thorough in my descriptions. I tried to write this up the way I like to follow tutorials, and to also make it easier for any newer sewists who are here. If any of this is old news, feel free to skim/skip ahead.

Prep
1. Cut out your fabric and interfacing as indicated on the pattern pieces and cutting sheet (links listed here).
2. Fuse the interfacing to the bag exterior, the contrast band, and the lining. DO NOT do anything with the pieces of fleece cut from the lining pattern yet, or the fleece and interfacing for the straps.

Making the Shoulder Straps
1. Take a shoulder strap piece and fold it in half lengthwise, wrong sides together. Press. Unfold, and then fold each raw edge towards the center crease and press. Fold each short edge in half an inch and press (this is to hide the raw edges on our finished strap).

 

2. Take your length of fusible fleece, and lay it down the center of the piece of fabric we just folded and pressed. Fold the short edge pieces neatly over the edges of the fleece and press again. Fold the long edges towards the center and press (to reinforce any folds that may have ironed out when you fused the fleece). Then fold in half again. All raw edges should be folded inside this strap now.

 

3. Top stitch around the entire strap. I like to go with a 1/8 inch seam allowance for this, but do what makes you feel comfortable.

4. Repeat all steps with the other strap. Set these aside for later.

Make Up the Loop Straps (these are the straps with the rings stitched onto the bag itself)
1. Similar to the above steps, fold these pieces in half lengthwise and press. Then unfold, and press the raw edges toward the center crease. There is no need to iron in the short ends on these pieces.

2. Lay your fusible interfacing down the center of this strip (as we did above) and press to fuse. Iron the edges towards the center again, and then fold in half and press. Do this with all four loop straps. (Steps 1 and 2 are almost identical to the shoulder straps, except one uses fleece and one uses interfacing). Do not topstitch.

3. Feed the end of one of the loop straps through one of your rings, and fold down about two inches. Stitch about 1/4 inch from the raw edge (this raw edge will be hidden when we sew it onto the bag). Do this with all 4 loop straps. Set aside.

Assemble the Exterior Bag Body
Take a few deep breaths. We're going to be pinning and stitching some curves.
1. Take an exterior bag piece and one of your contrast bands. Match the top of the bag piece to the bottom of the band, right sides together. If it helps you to keep them straight (that stinkin' curvy band still confuses me, and it's my pattern, lol) lay them down flat like you're assembling a jigsaw puzzle, right sides up. Then just flip the band down onto the top of the bag and pin (this is where the markings come in handy in keeping everything neat and tidy).

2. I like to use lots and lots of pins to keep everything neat. You'll notice that the band may be a touch longer than the top of the bag - this is on purpose. Some of the length gets eaten up in the curves - I think it's better to have a longer band that you can trim than to come up short.

3. Stitch with a 1/4 inch seam allowance. I do so with the band facing up as it helps me control the fabric better. Do your best to keep it nice and flat, but if you sew a few kinks into it you just unpick that part and restitch. Go slow and you shouldn't have any problem with those curves.

4. Press with the raw edges of the seam up towards the band. It looks like there is way too much fabric for it to lay flat but it does. Give it a very convincing press.

5. Topstitch on the band side of the curvy seam we just sewed. I usually go about 1/8 inch from the edge.

6. Repeat for the other exterior piece and band. If the the band is a little bit longer than the other part of the bag, simply trim it so that they're nice and even.

7. Take your fusible fleece pieces that we cut from the lining pattern and fuse them to the wrong sides of your outside bag pieces. Make sure you press nice and firm to get a good bond. Trim any excess fleece (I always seem to get some overhang).

And that's that for part 1. Next time we'll finish the outside of the bag. Questions? Shoot me an email or leave a comment and I'll do my very best to help you out. If you think something needs clarification please let me know.  I'll have Part 2 up on Wednesday.

Happy sewing!

I'm going to link here:

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Summer Daze - Finale

Welcome to the final day of Summer Daze Giveaways, hosted by While He Was Napping!  It’s been a fantastic week of amazing giveaways!  Each day, from June 6-11, new giveaways will open.  Giveaways will be open for four days, so make sure you get your entries in before they close.  You will need to visit the host blog to enter.  Entry requirements vary per host.  Make sure you get your entries into all the other giveaways--most of them are still open!
  
Today's giveaways are courtesy of:

 

Jayna @ Rock N Regalia has another great hair accessory for this summer.  This one is perfection with a nautical theme.  Who wouldn’t want to wear this adorable statement piece?

Melissa @ Kensington Cottage has a whole heap of burlap goodness up for grabs.  What a gorgeous memo board!  And that wreath would be perfect all year long!  The flowers can be worn as hair clips or as a pin.  AND… check out that $15 gift card to Target!

Tanya @ Sew Many Dreams has the perfect accessory for every diaper bag!  A shopping cart cover!  If you’ve ever watched in horror as your precious little one moved toward that cart handle, mouth agape and tongue just itching to taste that germ-ridden surface, you know that this would be a life-saver.  One or two licks of the bacteria-infested handle may not be life or death, but it sure would make mommy a little less squeamish and grossed out!

These giveaways will close on Wednesday, June 14, so head over to these blogs and get your entries in for all of these fantastic prizes. 

Summer Daze Day Five

Welcome to the Summer Daze Giveaways, hosted by While He Was Napping!  It’s a fantastic week of amazing giveaways!  Each day, from June 6-11, three new giveaways will open.  Giveaways will be open for four days, so make sure you get your entries in before they close.  You will need to visit the host blog to enter.  Entry requirements vary per host.  

Today's giveaways are courtesy of:

 

Stephanie @ Luxe Boulevard has some more pretties for your sun-bleached tresses.  These great fabric rosettes are perfect with their array of colors, lending to a fun and fancy-free look.  The perfect look for a warm summer day.

Emily @ Insanity Rules isn’t just celebrating summer! With her year-round, seasonal word frames you can add some decor that will be perfect, no matter what the weather may be.

Rebecca @ My Girlish Whims will help you get the perfect piece of stylish jewelry for the season.  With a $20 gift certificate to Your Girlish Whims, her Etsy shop, you’ll have the perfect excuse to indulge in the some pearls.  It is June, after all.

These giveaways will close on Tuesday, June 14, so head over to these blogs and get your entries in for all of these fantastic prizes.  And come back for tomorrow’s giveaways!

Summer Daze Day Four

Welcome to the Summer Daze Giveaways, hosted by While He Was Napping!  It’s a fantastic week of amazing giveaways!  Each day, from June 6-11, new giveaways will open.  Giveaways will be open for four days, so make sure you get your entries in before they close.  You will need to visit the host blog to enter.  Entry requirements vary per host.  

Today's giveaways are courtesy of:

Natalie @ Nat Mac's Knick Knacks has an incredible summer tote bag that would be perfect for a trip to the beach, the zoo, or even the park.  The flower embellishment gives the perfect whimsical finishing touch to an already pleasant afternoon in the summer sun.

Suze @ Time Well Spent is giving away a personalized name plaque and hair bow holder.  Perfect for all those cute, summery hair accessories!

Brenda @ A Creative Nest has a darling custom made, hand crocheted dress that encompasses all that is summer.  With a flower embellishment giving it a sweet, girly touch.

These giveaways will close on Monday, June 13, so head over to these blogs and get your entries in for all of these fantastic prizes.  And come back for tomorrow’s giveaways!